Many people slash their calories and hit the gym hoping to shed a
few pounds, only to step on the scale and see the number stubbornly
refuse to budge.

According to Dr. Michael Breus, a nationally recognized sleep
expert, a little shuteye can make the difference between a failed
diet and a successful one. Poor sleep leads to a diet-busting
combination of higher cortisol levels that boost the appetite, a
slower metabolism and cravings for fatty or high-carbohydrate foods,
he said.
"When I get people sleeping better, weight literally falls off of
them," Breus said.
A clinical psychologist with a specialty in sleep disorders,
Breus is traveling throughout Maine this week training sleep shops
about his line of mattresses. He's also author of the book "The
Sleep Doctor's Diet Plan."
Breus offered five tips for better sleep:
Go to bed at the same time every day, including weekends, to help
your body adjust to a natural sleep rhythm. Even one or two late
nights can throw sleep out of whack. "Some people experience this as
what we call Sunday night insomnia -- they stay up late Friday
night, they stay up late Saturday night, and then all of a sudden
Sunday comes and their normal bedtime isn't working for them because
their body has already adjusted to this later bedtime," he said.
Skip caffeine after 2 p.m., as the effects last eight to 10
hours. Are you one of those people who sips coffee after dinner and
can still fall asleep? You're probably not sleeping well and deeply,
Breus said.
Avoid drinking alcohol within three hours of bedtime.
Exercise consistently to improve sleep quality, but not within
four hours of bedtime because working out can boost energy levels.
Enjoy five to 10 minutes of sunlight every morning. "Sunlight
resets the internal biological clock," Breus said.
He also recommends unplugging from interactive technology, like
surfing the Web on an iPad, one hour before bed. Television, on the
other hand, can help those who need a distraction from the stresses
of the day to catch a wink, he said.
"I'm probably the only sleep doctor in the world that says it's
OK to watch television to fall asleep," Breus said.
Meditation, yoga, prayer and reading before bed can also help
stressed out people to fall asleep and stay asleep, he said.